BEHIND THE WELCOMING FAÇADE The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said that behind this “wellness clinic’’ on Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City, an abortion clinic was being run by foreign nationals. —photo courtesy of BI
MANILA, Philippines — Five foreign nationals—three Vietnamese and two Chinese—were arrested during a raid on a clinic in Pasay City that allegedly performed illegal abortions.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the group was running an establishment on Macapagal Boulevard that appeared as a regular wellness clinic that provided spa services and cosmetic surgeries.
The arrested suspects were led by a Vietnamese man identified as Trinh Dinh Sang, 29, who had been introducing himself as “Doctor Sang.”
READ: 6 Chinese, 1 Filipino nabbed for operating abortion clinic in Parañaque in police crackdown
The two other Vietnamese nationals were identified as Nguyen Duy Quynh, 67, and Pham Thi Nhu Hieu, 28; while the two Chinese men were identified as Xie Jun, 36, and Zhai Jian Gang, 43.
Agents as ‘clients’
Agents of the Pasay Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) posed as clients inquiring about cosmetic treatments to establish the presence of the suspects before conducting the raid on Monday.
“Reports that the PAOCC and the BI received were somewhat scary because they involved abortion. (The suspects) were allegedly involved in abortion practices,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
Sandoval said that the equipment found during the raid were hospital beds, microscopes, test tubes, and medicines.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the case was alarming as both the alleged abortions and cosmetic procedures performed were unauthorized by the Department of Health.
Backroom operations
“Their activities are dangerous and pose a threat to public safety,” said Tansingco.
Sandoval said the facade of the raided “clinic” advertised spa and other wellness services, “but at the back, there are actually covert operations of foreign nationals doing these nefarious activities.”
The arrested group was brought to the BI detention facility in Bicutan, Taguig City, pending the resolution of a deportation case filed against them.